YOUTH PERSPECTIVE IN SCHOOL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Asset-based research in Tiistilä Secondary school
Ervelä, Aino-Maria (2020)
Ervelä, Aino-Maria
2020
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020112323743
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020112323743
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this thesis was to benefit the school community in Tiistilä secondary school (Espoo, Finland) in their future development and to increase the pupils’ participation in school community development. This thesis aims to provide answers to the questions of: How do the pupils in Tiistilä secondary school experience their school community? and What kind of hopes and ideas do the pupils have for change and improvement of the school community, and how can the existing assets be utilized to achieve that change?
Positive Youth Development, Good relations and Sense of community are presented in the theoretical framework to describe the relevance of community relations for youth development. By offering the pupils opportunities to participate and influence in their community a stronger sense of community can be achieved, Good relations can be fostered and Positive Youth Development can occur. Asset-based approach is chosen in order to recognize and utilize the capacities of both individuals and the community.
Mixed methods and triangulation were used in data collection and data analysis. The data was collected by using both quantitative (online-survey) and qualitative methods (workshops). All the pupils in the secondary school on grades seven to nine, were asked to answer the online survey, and the peer support pupils of the school were invited to participate in two workshops.
76 percent of all the pupils replied to the online survey. The main findings of the research show that pupils in Tiistilä secondary school recognize assets within their school community in human, social, cultural and physical capitals. The importance of social relations together with the school atmosphere and the sense of community, was emphasized as the assets of the school community, but also as issues that caused worries amongst the young people and as issues that the pupils wanted to improve. Racism, smoking, bullying, violent behaviour and loneliness were the five most worrying aspects of the school community indicated by pupils. The desired changes and ideas for improvement the pupils suggested related to strengthening a safe and an equal school atmosphere and a comfortable school environment. Ideas for achieving the desired change involved organizing discussions about discrimination, teaching pupils non-violent conflict resolution skills, organizing more activities, increasing adults’ role in supervision and making contributions to the physical facilities of the school.
The findings of this research are presented for the school community as suggestions. The responsibility to implement the presented ideas lies within the schools.
Positive Youth Development, Good relations and Sense of community are presented in the theoretical framework to describe the relevance of community relations for youth development. By offering the pupils opportunities to participate and influence in their community a stronger sense of community can be achieved, Good relations can be fostered and Positive Youth Development can occur. Asset-based approach is chosen in order to recognize and utilize the capacities of both individuals and the community.
Mixed methods and triangulation were used in data collection and data analysis. The data was collected by using both quantitative (online-survey) and qualitative methods (workshops). All the pupils in the secondary school on grades seven to nine, were asked to answer the online survey, and the peer support pupils of the school were invited to participate in two workshops.
76 percent of all the pupils replied to the online survey. The main findings of the research show that pupils in Tiistilä secondary school recognize assets within their school community in human, social, cultural and physical capitals. The importance of social relations together with the school atmosphere and the sense of community, was emphasized as the assets of the school community, but also as issues that caused worries amongst the young people and as issues that the pupils wanted to improve. Racism, smoking, bullying, violent behaviour and loneliness were the five most worrying aspects of the school community indicated by pupils. The desired changes and ideas for improvement the pupils suggested related to strengthening a safe and an equal school atmosphere and a comfortable school environment. Ideas for achieving the desired change involved organizing discussions about discrimination, teaching pupils non-violent conflict resolution skills, organizing more activities, increasing adults’ role in supervision and making contributions to the physical facilities of the school.
The findings of this research are presented for the school community as suggestions. The responsibility to implement the presented ideas lies within the schools.